Racing game with chance positionable removable hurdles



Dec. 2, 1969 D. c. GIRAURD ET AL 3,481,605

RACING GAME WITH CHANCE POSITIONABLE REMOVABLE HURDLES Filed March 15, 1967 I N V ENTOE S DEW/5E C. 6/5400 A'TT N EYS United States Patent O US. Cl. 273-134 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A board game of the race type having a playing board on which the players move their playing pieces various distances and position movable hurdles along the paths of the players according to indicia on a die. The hurdles are color coded to correspond to the different path colors on the board. Further, the hurdles vary in number of slats, and the die used in the game is marked with indicia representing numerals corresponding to the different numbers of slats, one face of the die being marked with the letter H. The die is thrown out of the pouch on a simulated kangaroo by the action of an over-center type spring triggered by pressing on the animals tail, the action ejecting the die with a rolling motion so that it will remain on'the board and so that its final position will be entirely random and unpredictable. The hurdles are of a length sufficient to extend over only one path.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE 1 is a perspective of the game set up ready to begin play;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a simulated kangaroo forming the chance device, substantially in a fore-and-aft axial plane;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective of a hurdle indicated in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective of a die used with the device of FIGURE 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The game incorporating the invention comprises a circular board 10 providing a plurality of different colored paths 12, 14, 16 and 18 so that four players may each have his own path. The paths have a common starting line 20, and a generous area 22 is provided within the innermost path 18, wherein is disposed a chance device 24 in the form of a kangaroo. Playing pieces 25 are provided, preferably in the form of small kangaroos colored to correspond with the several paths, there being one for each player or path on board 10. Also provided are a. plurality of hurdles, indicated at 28, 30, 32 and 34, which are colored to correspond with the various colors of the paths and having different numbers of slats, hurdle 30, for example, having two slats 36 and 38. The game also includes a die 40 having the usual spots 42 indicating numbers, except that on at least one face there is a capital H for a purpose to appear. As the die is thrown by the chance device, the player who operated it moves his kangaroo the number of spaces indicated by the spots on the uper side of the die, while if the H comes up he is allowed to move one of the hurdles, either removing one from his path or placing one across the path of one of the other players to block his progress. The game therefore takes on some of the aspects of a hurdle race, the small kangaroos being the racers.

The chance device comprises a body portion 46, preferably made of molded plastic, in the shape of a kangaroo 3,481 ,605 Patented Dec. 2, 1969 having feet 48 shaped to simulate the crouching stance of the animal and generous enough to give it good stability. The body has an opening or upwardly inclined passageway 50 in the position of the characteristic pouch in which above mentioned die 40 is placed. Opening 50 is so dimensioned that die 40 may pass through it regardless of the angular position of the die. At its lower end passageway 50 isclosed by a transverse spring 52 of a shape to provide a bottom for passageway 50 and containing internal stresses which make it unstable. As r lated to passageway 50 it is slightly concave in one position, as indicated in full lines in FIGURE 2, but in the event of slight urging it will suddenly spring into a position somewhat convex, as indicated in broken lines, and when released will return to its concave position, the action taking place rapidly enough to emit a loud crack and to project die 40 well clear of opening 50 so that it will land on board 22 in position to be read.

Die 40 is placed in passageway 50 in a manner so that it is uncertain and unpredictable whether a face, a corner or an edge will be in contact with spring 52, so that it is likely that the spring when it pops will give a certain amount of spinning motion to the die to result in a pure chance indication when it comes to rest.

Spring 52 is triggered or started on its over-center movement by a cam portion 54 on a tail portion 56 which is pivoted to body 46 in the appropriate region on a pin 58, so that pressing down on tail 56 will urge spring 52 toward the broken line position, whereupon it will snap suddenly into such position, ejecting die 40 as desired.

The operation of the device should be clear from the above, but sufiicient to say, the players line up their kangaroos on starting line 20, the first player places die 40 into passageway 50 and depresses tail 56, whereupon spring 52 will pop over center and eject die 40. The player will then move his kangaroo the number of spaces on board 10 indicated by the spots on die 40 which come to the top. The next player will pick up die 40 and do likewise. If H comes up, the player may either remove a hurdle from his path which was placed there by an opponent or take one of the hurdles and place it on the path of any other player, whereupon that player is blocked from further progress unless he turns up a number corresponding to the number of slats in the hurdle. If or when he does this he may remove the hurdle and place it in the center of the board and proceed. Alternatively the player who turns up the H may recover any one of his hurdles, which have been removed by the other players and placed in the center of the board, for future use in blocking the progress of an opponent.

The first player to go completely around the board and return to the starting line wins the race and the game.

It will be seen that there is provided herein a novel game of chance, which is effective to stimulate competition throughout the game through the use of obstacles which may be placed by the players, in accordance with the indications of the chance device, to hamper the progress of their opponents. Furthermore, although shown and described with respect to a particular embodiment, it will be understood that modifications within the scope of the appended claims might be made.

We claim:

1. Game apparatus comprising a board including means defining a plurality of generally parallel paths, playing pieces for movement along said paths, a plurality of movable hurdles of differing structural appearance which are positionable on any one of said paths and are of a length to extend across only said one path, and chance means bearing indicia respectively correlated with different structural appearances of said hurdles.

2. The game apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the differing structural appearance of said hurdles is provided by different numbers of transverse slats, and wherein said chance means comprise a die having indicia thereon which represent numerals respectively corresponding with the different numbers of slats on said hurdles.

3. The game apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said die also includes further indicia which may be used for indicating placement of a hurdle on a path.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 4/1941 Schoonderwoerd et a1. 273134 10/1950 Rudolph 46123 X 9/1952 Solloway et al. 273-145 X 9/1953 Glass et al. 46123 12/1967 Stubbmann 273-145 FOREIGN PATENTS 6/ 1926 France.

5/1932 France.

3/ 1962 France.

9/ 1927 Germany.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

15 6/1930 Lauterbach 273145 145; 

